Scott Chiang was barred from entering Hong Kong yesterday and was forced to return on a ferry to the MSAR, after an immigration officer in the neighboring SAR told him that he had failed to meet the requirements for entry.
The New Macau Association (ANM) president, who will step down from the role after the September 17 Legislative Assembly election, claimed that the decision is linked to the visit of President Xi Jinping this week on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Hong Kong’s handover to Chinese sovereignty. Xi is visiting the territory between June 29 (Thursday) and July 1, marking his first visit to Hong Kong as China’s president.
Standing in the concourse of the Macau Outer Harbor Ferry Terminal, Chiang explained via a social media live stream the sequence of events leading to the refusal of Hong Kong immigration authorities to permit his entry.
He said that the purpose of his visit was a “clinic appointment” in Hong Kong, which he described as “routine business” on a monthly basis.
After arriving in Hong Kong, he was stopped at a self-service machine at the immigration gates and subsequently escorted to a room where an immigration officer interviewed him.
The female immigration officer enquired about the purpose of his visit and Chiang claims to have been forthcoming with the officer. He said that although he was in possession of the medicine related to his clinic visit, he had no evidence of the appointment itself.
“In the interview they focused [a lot] on what I am going to do [in Hong Kong] and whether I am going to meet with anyone,” said Chiang on the live broadcast. “They were also very interested in how much cash and [how many] credit cards I brought [with me]. Maybe they are still stuck in a time when some foreigners would bring large sums of money to finance the rebels in town.”
However, according to Chiang’s account, he told the immigration officers that he did not feel obligated to prove his purpose for entering Hong Kong.
“I was denied entry to Hong Kong for no real reason. I was told that I failed to fulfill the requirements for entering Hong Kong. I asked, ‘what is the criteria?’ The [immigration officer], who was quite honest with me, said that [that] was all she could tell me no matter how many times I asked,” he continued.
“It goes without saying that we all know what the real reason is: It’s because someone important is coming to town. You better watch out, you better not cry, because Xi is coming to town.”
Chiang also compared the experience of Hong Kong residents being barred entry to Macau, evaluating that the Hong Kong system was “more efficient”.
Chiang announced his resignation from pro-democracy group ANM late last month after a controversial board decision demoted him from the second candidate on the election ticket order to the third. He later said he would postpone his resignation until after the election. DB
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